What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 30, 2021, at approximately 09:45 eastern daylight saving time, privacy data omitted was substantially damaged during the takeoff process while conducting a hang gliding towing operation.
The pilot stated that he took the aircraft for a test flight to 3000 feet to see where the layers were and to see if there was any convective activity. This first flight was completed "without a hitch". He parked the aircraft until the first glider was ready to go. They performed a normal hookup and takeoff and all was normal. He felt the glider "break ground". He was about 50 feet above the ground when the engine just quit. There was no time to take any remedial action. He immediately put the nose down . However, due to the drag from the tow line, the airplane stalled and "pancaked into the ground".
The incident was captured on the airport security camera shows the aircraft taking off. After lift-off, a nose down and banking to the left attitude is observed, impacting the ground on the left gear then ground looped to the left, and hitting a plow parked off to the left of the runway
The following was observed by FAA iic upon arrival at the scene:
The aircraft was removed from the sight of the incident to a hanger.
The aircraft was partially dis-assembled, wings were removed, instrument panel / console disassembled, and all instruments removed. Substantial damage to main fuselage tube in the form of buckling in the area of the pilot seating. Severed support tubing from "t" frame to main gears. Impact damage to left wing and left elevator.
Aircraft logbook indicates the aircraft was inspected in accordance with 14 CFR 43 appendix d on 06/22/2021 actt 862.6
On 09/27/2021, a detailed inspection of the aircraft's engine, (Rotax 912 uls, s/n 5644341), was performed at the request of the NTSB. Overseen by the FAA iic and performed by a certificated independent contractor revealed the following:
1) Right side slip-on joint that secures the carburetor to the air intake manifold was found to be loose at the outer clamp that secures the carburetor. Carburetor was able to be removed by hand without tools.
2) Right side carburetor anti-vibration dampening spring was found disconnected.
3) Engine cylinders 2 and 4 upper and lower spark plugs exhibit signs of a lean fuel mixture.
4) Engine cylinders 1 and 3 upper and lower spark plugs exhibit rich fuel mixture.
5) All spark plugs were found to be over-torqued without required lubrication on threads.
6) Cylinder #1 upper spark plug terminal was found to be bent after removal of spark plug wire.
This report will be amended if more information becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 30, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 09:45 EASTERN DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE TAKEOFF PROCESS WHILE CONDUCTING A HANG GLIDING TOWING OPERATION.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE AIRCRAFT FOR A TEST FLIGHT TO 3000 FEET TO SEE WHERE THE LAYERS WERE AND TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. THIS FIRST FLIGHT WAS COMPLETED "WITHOUT A HITCH". HE PARKED THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL THE FIRST GLIDER WAS READY TO GO. THEY PERFORMED A NORMAL HOOKUP AND TAKEOFF AND ALL WAS NORMAL. HE FELT THE GLIDER "BREAK GROUND". HE WAS ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE ENGINE JUST QUIT. THERE WAS NO TIME TO TAKE ANY REMEDIAL ACTION. HE IMMEDIATELY PUT THE NOSE DOWN . HOWEVER, DUE TO THE DRAG FROM THE TOW LINE, THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND "PANCAKED INTO THE GROUND".
THE INCIDENT WAS CAPTURED ON THE AIRPORT SECURITY CAMERA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF. AFTER LIFT-OFF, A NOSE DOWN AND BANKING TO THE LEFT ATTITUDE IS OBSERVED, IMPACTING THE GROUND ON THE LEFT GEAR THEN GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT, AND HITTING A PLOW PARKED OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY
THE FOLLOWING WAS OBSERVED BY FAA IIC UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE:
THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE SIGHT OF THE INCIDENT TO A HANGER.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARTIALLY DIS-ASSEMBLED, WINGS WERE REMOVED, INSTRUMENT PANEL / CONSOLE DISASSEMBLED, AND ALL INSTRUMENTS REMOVED. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO MAIN FUSELAGE TUBE IN THE FORM OF BUCKLING IN THE AREA OF THE PILOT SEATING. SEVERED SUPPORT TUBING FROM "T" FRAME TO MAIN GEARS. IMPACT DAMAGE TO LEFT WING AND LEFT ELEVATOR.
AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 14 CFR 43 APPENDIX D ON 06/22/2021 ACTT 862.6
ON 09/27/2021, A DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE, (ROTAX 912 ULS, S/N 5644341), WAS PERFORMED AT THE REQUEST OF THE NTSB. OVERSEEN BY THE FAA IIC AND PERFORMED BY A CERTIFICATED INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING:
1) RIGHT SIDE SLIP-ON JOINT THAT SECURES THE CARBURETOR TO THE AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS FOUND TO BE LOOSE AT THE OUTER CLAMP THAT SECURES THE CARBURETOR. CARBURETOR WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED BY HAND WITHOUT TOOLS.
2) RIGHT SIDE CARBURETOR ANTI-VIBRATION DAMPENING SPRING WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED.
3) ENGINE CYLINDERS 2 AND 4 UPPER AND LOWER SPARK PLUGS EXHIBIT SIGNS OF A LEAN FUEL MIXTURE.
4) ENGINE CYLINDERS 1 AND 3 UPPER AND LOWER SPARK PLUGS EXHIBIT RICH FUEL MIXTURE.
5) ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE FOUND TO BE OVER-TORQUED WITHOUT REQUIRED LUBRICATION ON THREADS.
6) CYLINDER #1 UPPER SPARK PLUG TERMINAL WAS FOUND TO BE BENT AFTER REMOVAL OF SPARK PLUG WIRE.
THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.